Winnipeg bees get boost with new rooftop hives at The Forks

About 10,000 bees and their queen have a new urban home in Winnipeg. Two honey hives were placed on top of the caboose at The Forks on Friday morning.

Management at The Forks hope having the colony of yellow buzzers in an open and accessible area will help bring the plight of bees to life for more people in Winnipeg.

"Bees play a vital role in our ecosystem, and globally their population is on the decline," Paul Jordan, chief executive officer of The Forks North Portage Partnership, said in a statement. "Our hope is that we can not only be good stewards of our environment, but help educate the public about their importance as well."

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The hives are high enough that they're out of reach and also close enough to The Forks' public orchard that the busy bees have easy access to nearby blooms.

Urban beehives get new home on top of the caboose at The Forks

9 years ago

Duration 1:06

Management at The Forks hope having the colony of about 10,000 yellow bees in an open and accessible area will help bring the plight of bees to life for more people in Winnipeg.

"It's a really exciting day here for us, bringing those pollinators right here to The Forks where they'll be working on the fruit orchard and the local tree flowers," said Chris Kirouac, co-owner of BeeProject Apiaries. His apiary business is in charge of looking after the hives.

Nesting hives in the middle of densely populated urban areas can be hugely beneficial to bees, Kirouac said. Within city limits, bees are shielded from harsh weather and certain pesticides they tend to encounter in fields on the Prairies. They're also less at risk of having run-ins with predators.

"This came as a great spot, in view of people but just out of reach, so that people will be able to walk by and observe without … standing right next to the hive, so it will be beautiful," he said. "You'll be able to see the bees coming and going; they won't be threatening to you."

Having more bees around downtown is also good for local flowers and trees, as they will help pollinate more plant life in the area.

Between 20 to 25 kilograms of honey is expected to be produced and extracted from the two hives this season. It will go on sale as early as July.